6 May, 2019 - Rob Ruiz - The Land and Water Company

 Slow Living Radio is thrilled to welcome the acclaimed chef and sustainability advocate and pioneer, Chef Rob Ruiz.  A chef truly making a difference in this world, his dedication, hard work and endeavours have escalated him to the world scene for both culinary and environmental activities.  Here his fascinating story.

Chef Rob Ruiz
The Land and Water Company

Chef Robert Ruiz has been at the forefront of sustainable seafood. His inventiveness, mindful determination, and meticulous care has earned him recognition as one of the nation’s progressive culinary minds.  Chef Ruiz has humble roots in San Diego, CA., and a decade on the Big Island of Hawaii. 

In 2010 he earned the title of “Chef of the Fest” at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.In 2012 and 2013 Ruiz served as the Executive Chef for the Party in the Valley at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

Ruiz also began working extensively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

 In 2014 Ruiz opened his signature restaurant, The Land & Water Co., recognized in the cities top 10, and San Diego Magazine Critics choice. Chef Ruiz worked with Slowfood, representing the USA at Terra Madre, Salon de Gusto, Turin, Italy.  2016 Chef Ruiz was recognized as “Chef of the Year” by the San Diego Union Tribune.

Chef Ruiz received global recognition for his dedication to improving seafood industry practices at the 2016 Ocean Awards, in London, presented by the Blue Marine Foundation. October 2017 Ruiz was featured at the StarChefs annual Chefs Congress in Brooklyn, NYC. 2018 The Land & Water Co., is featured in Alice Waters book, “Truth, Love, and Clean Cutlery”. I

In 2019 Ruiz is the certified as a Leader for the James Beard Foundation’s SmartCatch Program. 

Here is a story written by Slow Living's Sally James about the chef for Seafood Source :  

An unlikely chef to find crafting sustainable sushi, Rob Ruiz, is a prodigy in the world of sustainable seafood.  Honing his craft in Hawaii with Alan Wong and then under Japanese Sushi master, Etsuji Umezu, he established The Land and Water Company in 2014, serving traditional and inventive sushi and sashimi, in the small beach city of Carlsbad. Since then, he has also opened a sushi hand roll market using only fish caught by local fishers.

From this remote outpost, however, his voice has travelled far, promoting his mission to “heal the planet”, one fish at a time.  Working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and other leading international organizations he has been pivotal in the development and promotion of initiatives, such as tracking codes, aimed at making the seafood industry more reputable and sustainable.

Ruiz was one of only 12 honorees to receive the international Ocean Award from the Blue Marine Foundation and Boat International, for his sustainable practices.  Based in London, the mission of the foundation is to protect just 10 percent of the world’s oceans by 2020.